title: Origin and control of the subpicosecond pedestal in femtosecond laser systems.
abstract: The picosecond time scale pedestal of a multiterawatt femtosecond laser pulse is investigated experimentally and analytically. The origin of the pedestal is related to the finite bandwidth of the laser system. By deliberately introducing a modulated spectrum with minima that match this limited bandwidth, the pedestal can be reduced, with no deleterious effect on the main pulse. Using this technique, we experimentally demonstrate a subpicosecond scale order of magnitude enhancement of contrast ratio while preserving the energy in the main pulse.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaganovich
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Peñano
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Helle
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hafizi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ting